


I (Don't) Believe

by nightwingingit



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Figuratively, M/M, TimKon Week, prompt: under lock and key, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwingingit/pseuds/nightwingingit
Summary: TimKon Week Day 1: Under Lock and Key---“I don’t believe it okay?!” Tim shouted, seemingly more to the sky than to Conner which got Conner a bit stunned, “Soulmates?!  You’ve got to be kidding me!  Soulmate’s aren’t real!  A random stranger you’re supposed to love for the rest of your life?!  A person who cares about you and stands by you and…” Tim’s voice softened, “...loves you forever?  Yeah right… you don’t even know me.”Something in Tim’s shoulders got to Conner.  They looked so… lonely.Intertwining their hands again Conner squeezed it reassuringly, “I’d like to.”
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Comments: 8
Kudos: 129





	I (Don't) Believe

Tim hid his face in Superboy’s chest as he zoomed at high speed to who knows where. He was getting whiplash from the rush of air.

Stupid! Dumb! Idiot!

When they finally landed Tim jumped out of the boys arms as quickly as he could.

“What are you doing?! Where are we?!”

Tim tried to shake his hand away from Superboy but to no avail. It was as if they were connected by an invisible tether or a magnetic field was trying to push their wrists together.

Soulmate chain.

Conner had taken them somewhere tropical. An Island. Was it one of the islands of Hawaii? There were palm trees along the private coast they had landed on. The sand was white. The sun was blindingly bright.

‘This isn’t happening.’ Tim thought, ‘Not this guy! Why this guy?!’

As Tim struggled to no avail Superboy just smiled and easily took the hand Tim was trying to pull away. He grabbed Tim around his waist and pulled him flush to him, “Hi. I’m Conner. Also known as Superboy.”

The proximity of the admittedly very attractive boy holding him close and staring seemingly straight into his soul with the complete confidence of a boy who knows how attractive he is had Tim stuttering, “I-I…”

But only for a moment.

“Who cares?! Let me go!” Tim shouted, pulling away again but no matter how he moved Conner was unbothered and his grip unfailing.

Conner leaned into him. He was going to… NO WAY!

Tim pushed at his face and turned away beet red, “NOOOOO!!!!”

“mMH” Conner moved his face from Tim’s hand squishing his face and finally let go.

Falling to his knees from exhaustion Tim breathed a sigh.

“What’s wrong with you?” Conner asked as he shook their still intertwined hands, “We’re soulmate’s aren’t we? Why are you so shy?”

“E-Even if that’s true,” Tim told him, “A-A kiss is still...”

Conner sat next to him crossed legged and leaned his head down trying to look Tim in the eyes. It was hard though because Tim was wearing his mask, “We’re supposed to kiss. It's what’s supposed to happen when you find your soulmate!”

“What are you… do you even know what that means?!” Tim shouted angrily, still not looking at his soulmate, “If we kiss our bond will last forever. Even if we’re apart we will still be able to feel each other. Our lives will be linked. If… if I die so will you. Do you really want that?!”

Squeezing Tim’s hand in his he took Tim’s chin in his other hand and made him look at him. He was cute and a bit on the small side honestly. His soft cheeks squished and his thin lips almost in a pout. Conner has never felt more smitten in his life, “Hey, I’ll just have to protect you then.”

Tim bristled and Conner couldn’t help but find it even cuter, “You’re so full of yourself. You know that?”

But it wasn’t as biting as before.

“I can protect myself perfectly fine!” Tim declared, “I’ll probably be the one worrying about you!”

Conner let Tim shake himself out of Conner’s grip on his face and stand up. Conner followed.

“You’d worry about me?” Conner asked, surprised.

Tim blinked at him, “Of course! You’re so dumb and reckless!”

“Hey! You don’t even know me! I’m invulnerable!” Conner told him, offended, “And I’m not dumb!”

“Not completely.” Tim conceded, “Whatever, It’s not going to happen anyways.”

“What?!” Conner says sounding incredulous and a bit angry, “So what?! You’re mad because I’m not good enough to be your soulmate?! Just because I’m not as smart as you?!”

“That is NOT what I meant!” Tim scoffed, turning away. Conner’s grip on his hand loosened and although their wrists remained together their hands fell apart as Tim turned away.

“WHAT THEN?!” Conner shouted, his fists clenched starting to shake. 

He was wrong. He wasn’t cute at all! His soulmate was a complete and utter jerk!

“I don’t believe it okay?!” Tim shouted, seemingly more to the sky than to Conner which got Conner a bit stunned, “Soulmates?! You’ve got to be kidding me! Soulmate’s aren’t real! A random stranger you’re supposed to love for the rest of your life?! A person who cares about you and stands by you and…” Tim’s voice softened, “...loves you forever? Yeah right… you don’t even know me.”

Something in Tim’s shoulders got to Conner. They looked so… lonely.

Intertwining their hands again Conner squeezed it reassuringly, “I’d like to.”

They were quiet as they watched the waves hit the beach and Conner sighed, “Okay. If you…” Conner didn’t want to but if Tim was unwilling there wasn’t anything he could do. 

He hated it though, he didn’t want to give up on their bond, even if he didn’t fully understand it.

His hand in Robin’s felt RIGHT.

“If you want to wait this out… the bond will be severed after 24 hours if we don’t kiss, right?” He gets out but then can’t help but squeeze Tim’s hand again, “I won’t force you but-”

He sighs deeply.

“I want to kiss you!” Conner tells him with vigor, “Even if you’re ugly under that mask, even if you’re not as smart as you seem, even if you have stinky feet!” He says, determined, “I don’t care!”

“Pft!” Tim snickers and Conner’s heart jumps in his chest, then he sees him full on laughs out loud, hand covering his mouth as he doubles over, and Conner can’t help but laugh too. 

Huffing for breath he sighed, “You don’t even know my name, you idiot.”

Conner took this chance and took Robin’s other hand and moved so his body would turn to look at him and then repeated what he’d said before, “I’d like to.”

Tim’s brow wrinkles, looking conflicted, searching Conner’s eyes.

“My room’s a mess.” Tim says very seriously, “I have insomnia. Like really bad. I eat the chips in my bed and they fall all over the place. I don’t like crowds or parties or dancing even though I can tolerate it sometimes. I- I might manipulate you and your time… I mean… I _will_ manipulate you and your time… not on purpose… mostly…” Tim bites his lip getting more and more unsure, “And even if I’m like that I’ll also choose work over you! A lot!” 

Conner nods, “Okay.” 

“I work a lot! Are you sure?! Do you get what I’m saying?!” Tim asks, getting worked up, “That means I would be a terrible boyfriend and soulmate! You’ll hate me!”

“Don’t decide that on your own.” Conner fights back, “We can both have messy rooms and eat chips on the bed together, heck we can eat every meal on the bed together.” He can’t help but wink, trying to lighten the mood, and Tim feels his ears heat up again.

“We don’t have to go anywhere or do anything that makes you uncomfortable. And I don’t mind you looking for ways to be with me. Sometimes I need someone to show me which direction to fly. And I get that work is important to you.” Conner tells him, “I don’t have the answers to everything and I can’t promise I won’t ever get mad at you or that we’ll never fight but… I want this if you want it too.”

Conner looks out to the ocean again, “You’re right. I can be stupid sometimes. Grabbing you the moment our wrists pulled us together back in Metropolis- Superman and Batman must be going crazy right now wondering where we are.” He sighed and looked up at the sky, “I’m impulsive and follow my gut more than my brain. I just wanted to bring you, my soulmate, here to the most beautiful place I’d ever been before kissing you. The perfect soulmate kiss, you know?”

It was Tim’s turn to watch as Conner got shy, “If we’re confessing things I just have to say, I haven’t been around that long. I don’t actually know the social norms that normal people have to go through. I’ve always been Superboy… this whole secret identity and fitting in thing… is hard. I haven’t experienced as much as a normal person so sometimes people have to explain things to me.” Then looked pointedly at Tim, “That doesn’t mean I’m stupid though! So… if you can forgive my weaknesses too and… and work with me too then…”

“Of course!” Tim answers quickly, tugging at Conners hand eagerly, “Of course.”

Suddenly there was an easy air around them, the tension had evaporated and the refreshing ocean breeze could finally reach them. 

They talked more into the evening. Conner showed Tim around the island, finding a pineapple ice cream stand and touching the water.

Conner found out many things about Robin such as he lived with his dad and his stepmother in Gotham. He liked photography and went to Gotham High School.

Tim learned things about Conner as well such as how he’d lived in Hawaii, how Conner liked to surf, and eat any kind of food.

It was an easy feeling, being with each other, although Tim continuously got flustered when Conner flirted with him.

The sun was starting to set when they went to sit in the sand where they’d first landed.

The sky was so clear, the sand so soft, the ocean so clean. It was no wonder Conner thought it was the perfect place for a first kiss.

Tim’s hand was holding Conner’s. His palm was so warm and reassuring. Somehow it felt like they'd spent a lifetimes worth of time together and yet not long enough. Definitely not long enough. He’d never felt so at ease with someone. Especially someone he’d just met.

He’d never thought he would have considered… but now? With him?

“I don’t believe…” Tim started, “I don’t believe that soulmates are the ultimate form of love or anything. I don’t believe in fate telling us who to love or telling us what path we choose.”

Conner remained quiet but stiff. Here it came. The rejection. He was gearing up for it. Robin wasn’t the sort to let anyone push him around or tell him what to do in his life. And the guy hadn’t even told him his name. Who was Conner kidding?!

“So,” Tim cleared his throat, “Even if we are… Soulmates. This is really just biology. Biology saying you and I are… compatible. And I’m not going to argue against that fact.”

Oh god Tim knew he was blushing so hard, he could feel the heat not only in his face but thrumming through his whole body, “But it’s only a suggestion. It’s my choice whether I want to go with that suggestion or not!”

Tim grabbed at Conner’s shoulder with his other hand, the other boy wide eyed and speechless. Maybe he didn’t know where this was going?!

“I choose.” Tim demands a bit softer and Conner nods.

Then Tim leans up to him and oh god! Conner’s mind is spinning before he realizes what’s happening.

Before their lips touch Tim whispers in a trembling voice, “I want…” he says unsure, “I want to kiss you if you still…”

Conner answers connecting their lips and pulling Tim in close just as he’d done earlier that day.

Tim made a small noise when Conners tongue lapped into his mouth making his knees weak. But Conner’s grip on him was strong and steady and Tim admitted once again, felt just RIGHT.

When they parted they could feel it. A new warmth in their hearts, like a second heartbeat in their own. 

They let go of each other’s hands. Finally the invisible chain was broken by their bond and instead Tim wrapped his arms around Conners neck and Conner’s around his waist going in for another kiss.

This time Tim experimented with licking his way into Conner’s mouth and Conner in turn hoisted him up by his thighs roughly.

“Ahem,” Tim would have literally jumped like a startled cat if Conner hadn’t been holding into him so tightly. And thank god he had because the Super had floated them right above the palm trees without him realizing it.

They both turned their heads and saw Superman and Batman glaring at them, none too happy.

Very angry actually. Even though Tim and Conner both wanted to laugh because of the way Clark was cradling Bruce in his arms.

Awkwardly Conner floated down and Tim climbed out of his arms. 

Tim dusted himself off for no reason except he was feeling nervous. Conner instantly grabbed his hand, the one they’d been linked by all day, and Tim felt instantly better. 

“Are you okay, Robin?” Batman asked.

And Tim was stunned by how loaded that one question was. Bruce wasn’t just asking a simple question, with his voice and his eyes glaring daggers at Superboy, Bruce was asking, ‘are you hurt?’, ‘did he hurt you?’, ‘do I need to fight him off of you?’, ‘did he force you?’, ‘are you injured?’ as well as questioning and reprimanding him for why he’d forgotten something so important such as calling him to let him know he was okay if he really was okay, all at the same time.

“Yes, sir.” Tim answered back with just as many answers in his steady gaze at his mentor and the squeeze of Conner’s hand.

A moment passed in which Batman glared daggers at Conner and even though Conner twitched nervously their hands were still intertwined and he didn’t move from Tim’s side.

“Hm. We’re leaving.” Bruce turned and disappeared.

Tim sighed but before following turned to Conner, “It’s Tim, by the way.” He said a bit cheekily, “I’ll see you later.”

He quickly pecked Conner’s lips before making to leave but then Conner pulled him back in for another more passionate kiss. Tim let himself melt into it, feeling the abnormal warmth of his now forever soulmate.

“Robin!”

They broke the kiss and Tim yelled, “Coming!” They finally parted although Conner wanted to hold onto him forever, watching his back as he followed behind the man.

When Tim was out of sight Conner impishly shrugged at Clarks exasperated but tired disapproval, “Is there anything I can even say?” Clark asks.

Conner shrugs again and smiles.

“Just treat him well.” Clark sighs then smiles back.

“Of course I will!” Conner answers as Clark takes him under his arm and noogies his head, “Hey!”

“You’re such a brat!”


End file.
